Residents will have a chance to discuss how the district is thriving, as well as areas of concern, at the end of April.
The community conversation’s goals are creating sustainable funding, evoking positive change and enriching the quality of life, said Ashley Oakes, manager of The Squamish Community Foundation.
Residents can register online for the Squamish Community Conversation being held on April 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Howe Sound Brewing Company.
Co-hosted by the Squamish and Vancouver foundations, Oakes said, “We want as much community feedback as possible. The idea is that areas of concern that are highlighted will guide the direction of other decision makers.”
Not just data collection is important but also taking “a temperature on the community’s passion for certain topics and what they feel strongly about,” Oakes said.
Canadian foundations are charitable groups made up of organizations, individuals and non-profits, and donated funds are invested with revenue going back into the community every year, she said.
The Vancouver Foundation, which is the largest in Canada, conducted the first-ever provincial Vital Signs report last year, noting specific geographical zones. Now, Squamish will create its own report by collecting data to release in late fall, Oakes said.
Trina Prior, manager of grants and community initiatives at The Vancouver Foundation, said she is pleased Squamish is the first community of many to host the conversation, using data in the right way.
“There’s a lot of value in what people really appreciate in their community,” Prior said. Outside of Metro Vancouver, a key issue was employment and “that was very clear cut,” she said. In Squamish, the report highlighted housing, transportation and the environment as concerns.
“We decided to pull in some other topics that the community holds as important factors,” Oakes said. So, housing, youth engagement, arts and culture and community involvement will be the focus at round table discussions moderated by local experts.
All foundations are required to report on 10 themes including the gap between rich and poor, health and housing. Oakes said the plan is to get information on additional items through a general survey.
“We’ve engaged a committee of community champions who are going to disseminate information,” she said. There are 12 people from local industry, the District, the chamber, non-profits and community services that will distribute surveys after the event and help validate incoming data.
